On Sunday, workers rejected a company offer of a one-week extension on their contract. They were seeking a longer extension from the company, which had asked the union to propose concessions. BRW is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Yesterday, federal mediator Charles McHugh of Allentown announced that the union membership accepted the seven-day extension yesterday morning after union and company officials met late Sunday night.

Steve Kopach, business agent for Local 1445, said the company and union "hopefully" are going back to the bargaining table, although no time or date has been set yet. He said the union accepted the seven-day contract extension because the company removed the request for concessions from the table.

Local 1445 represents about 350 employees at BRW. Of those, 138 are working. The rest are on layoff.

BRW officials could not be reached for comment last night.

The contract between Atlantic States and Local 1 expired at midnight Saturday.

James D. Singleton, plant manager at Atlantic States, said that the first shift production and second shift maintenance operations at the S. Sitgreaves Street facility are shut down.

While declining extensive comment on the strike, Singleton said picketers "have been very orderly, very cooperative.

"What we want is a contract, to get folks back to work where they should be," Singleton said.

About 12-15 men were on the picket line at the plant last night. Local 1 president Michael Cunningham said 20-30 picketers will be on the lines during the day.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge against the company yesterday with the National Labor Relations Board office in Newark. The charge says that the company refused to bargain in good faith.

Cunningham said the union, which represents 147 employees, and the company had been negotiating since mid-February, but he charged that "the only thing (the company) did was surface bargain. They listened to us and acknowledged what they heard, and that was it."

He said company and union representatives met for nine hours last Friday with federal mediator Paul Buckley from Trenton. No new talks have been scheduled, Cunningham said.

Standing before a blazing fire in a barrel on the sidewalk in front of the Atlantic States gate last night, Cunningham said the union has gotten support from the community. "People have been bringing firewood," and a local pub has provided food and coffee for the strikers.